


A Gift To Themselves

by ItCouldAllBeForNothingTommorow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Christmas Fluff, Harry and Goerge Are Married In The Future, I don't know what to tag this, M/M, Multi, Not Epilogue Compliant, Older Harry Mentors Young Harry, Older Harry Potter, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21574516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItCouldAllBeForNothingTommorow/pseuds/ItCouldAllBeForNothingTommorow
Summary: Future Harry Potter and his husband George go back to create an alternative timeline where they hope to shape a world where some who died get to live and all their loved ones will be happy.
Relationships: Harry Potter/George Weasley, Various Other Secondary Relationships, implied future Harry Potter/Fred Weasley/George Weasley
Comments: 14
Kudos: 507





	A Gift To Themselves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dancibayo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancibayo/gifts).



> This fic is an early Christmas present for the kind dancibayo. They gave a listing of things they would like and my muse plucked up Harry/The Twins + Time Travel + Fix It, threw in a sprinkle of Christmas and came up with this idea which it then set me to writing out all in one sitting. I tried to tailor the fix it portion at the end to their preferences.
> 
> I hope you like it Dancibayo!

Standing on Privet Drive one Harry Potter looked up at the house in which he had been raised, only barely seeing it. His nerves were rattled. What they were here to do was incredibly risky. If it went wrong, they could be ruining lives that might have otherwise been spare. But if things went right? Oh if things went right they could do so much good. Not just for themselves and their loved ones but for others as well.

A hand slipped into Harry’s giving it a squeeze.

Looking to his left found George smiling at him reassuringly. He didn’t have to say anything. There were no words needed between them.

Taking a deep breath, Harry drew it in, then let it out, lacing the air with some of his anxiety so it might be expelled from his body. Feeling a little bit better he found it in himself to smile back at George.

Reaching up he ran his fingers through his husband's long red hair. He’d grown it out down to his shoulders years back, to cover up his missing ear and stop people gawking. He always wore it down unless there was only family around. Personally Harry liked the look. He appreciated being able to run his fingers through it. Sometimes they would stay up in bed with George’s head in Harry’s lap while he stroked through the locks. 

Leaning in for a kiss the couple met in the middle. It was caste. Just a brief meeting of the lips for the simple pleasure of reassuring they were there for one another. As they pulled apart they leaned into each other, settling in to wait for their quarry to appear.

They stood there invisible to others until the door to Number Four opened and out came Harry’s younger self, scrawny, small, and swamped in Dudley’s cast offs.

“Merlin, look at me,” Harry said taking himself in.

“Even I didn’t remember you being that small,” George said, trying to tease but it came out flat. They had no secrets between them. He knew all about Harry’s child and what life with the Dursley’s was like for the ten year old in front of them. It was hard to teased when faced, as an adult, with all the signs of neglect little Harry carrying. Sure, his own family was big on passing things along from one child to the next, making repairs, and making do but his parents gave them everything they could. Vernon and Petunia had plenty to give. They doted on their son while leaving Harry to do with what scraps they were willing to cast off.

Together the couple watched as young Harry quickly scampered away from the Dursley’s house. With their footsteps silenced they followed after him as he made his way to the local playground. Once there they looked around to see that no one was about and cast a few spells to triple check and then a few more to make certain it stayed that way. It wouldn’t due for some muggle to show up thinking something sinister was happening. Or worse Mrs. Figg. She was still alive at this time, still reporting to Dumbledore, and the last thing they wanted was their old Headmaster hearing about their visit. 

If they wanted Dumbledore involved they would have gone to him directly, but they hadn’t. They didn’t trust him to do as they advised him. No, the way they figured it he would do what he always did. Gather information, keep it to himself, then manipulate all the pieces on the board into moving about as he thought best. He would do it with the best of intentions but they’d already experienced letting things play as he guided them. They’d come from the future that created. Its where they would return when this was over. But right here, right now, they had the chance to create an alternate time. A new life for the younger versions of themselves. A reality where hopefully things would go right.

Giving his hand one last squeeze George assured Harry, “I’ll be right here.”

Harry nodded… Then remained, standing exactly where he was. A little desperately he delayed by requesting, “Wish me luck?”

With sincerity George told him, “Good luck.”

And still Harry couldn’t move.

“That was your cue.”

“I know. I just… can’t take the first step.” He looked over at George pleadingly. “Help me out?”

Bringing his arms around Harry’s waist George jostled him a bit. “Come on, where’s that Gryffindor courage?”

“Hiding under a mountain of self doubt,” Harry grumbled.

“Hello,” a voice cut in.

Looking over they saw young Harry looking around confused.

“Whoops,” George whispered. “Guess we were talking too loud.”

As his younger self turned away George waved his wand over Harry making him visible then unceremoniously shoved him forward that first step.

“Thanks,” Harry grumbled back at him.

He couldn’t see George but he just new he was smirking.

Walking forward he called out to his young self, “Hello."

Turning with a start the boy took in Harry. As he noted the stranger who was somehow familiar his little face scrunched up, a deep groove forming between his brows. “Hello?”

He moved forward towards Harry as Harry did the same. Once they were face to face Harry knelt down in front of the boy.

Taking in his features, the hair, the eyes, the glasses, young Harry asked, “Who are you?”

Putting on a smile Harry braced himself in preparation for giving the boy the one thing they’d always needed, but rarely got.

“I’m you,” he said, pushing his fringe back to reveal his scar. “From the future.”

With his small mouth agape the boy reached up to his forehead, his fingertips hovering above his own matching, distinct scar. In a quiet sort of voice he asked, “But- How?”

Drawling his wand Harry revealed, “Magic.”

And with the smallest flick a swirling cloud of rainbow sparks took off to fly around them.

“The letter,” young Harry said in ah. “It wasn’t a joke?”

“No," Harry agreed producing a copy of their acceptance letter to Hogwarts, addressed and sealed for his younger self. As it was placed in his small hands young Harry accepted the letter with reverence. He stared at it without blinking until finally his older self snorted and gave him a nudge. “Go ahead, open it.”

Nodding absently young Harry did as requested. Breaking the seal he opened the envelope and brought out the letter inside.

“Dear Harry Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy,” the almost eleven year old read with awe.

He looked up to himself with wide eyes.

“Come on,” Harry told him tilting his head towards a near by bench. “We have a lot to talk about."

***

A few hours later young Harry was off, running back to Privet Drive but only after having promised not to do anything rash. No confronting the Dursleys. No revealing what he’d learned.

Sitting down next to his husband George pulled him into the disillusionment hiding him from sight, leaving them both invisible to the world but not to each other. Then, having learned from their earlier mistake, he cast another spell to mute their conversation to outsiders. Only then did he speak.

“Well, I think that went well,” he declared. Reaching out he looped their arms together then laced their fingers.

“It did,” Harry agreed. So well in fact that he was feeling much better about this whole plan of theirs.

“I forgot how cute you used to be.”

“That’s because you never saw me as cute back then. I was just a kid. A little firsty like your little dope of a brother Ron.”

George argued, “You were never just a kid.”

“Sadly, no,” Harry agreed looking off the way his younger self had gone.

“… Do you want to take a break,” George asked.

Turning to take George in Harry watched carefully as he offered in return, “Not unless you’ve changed your mind?”

Frowning George looked away. “No, I’m sorry but no. I can’t. Not yet anyway.”

Harry figured that would be the answer but he had to check. They’d talked over the idea of visiting the Burrow, looking in on little George and Fred several times. At first when it was more of a hypothetical George daydreamed about it, happily imagining going back, but as it became apparent that this might actually happen, he distanced himself further from the idea until finally he admitted that he just couldn’t do it.

"If I see him again, I don’t think I could leave. Not without ripping my heart in two.”

“We move forward then,” Harry offered.

“We move forward,” George agreed.

From his pocket Harry pulled out the new and improved Time Turner they’d used to bring them there. Pulling on the chain it extended allowing Harry to loop it around their joined hands before setting their destination a few days ahead on this time line before giving it a spin.

***

“You’re here,” young Harry enthused, spotting his older self waiting at the playground bench just like he promised he would be.

“Happy Birthday,” the elder greeted, holding out a package wrapped in red paper with a gold bow.

“A present to yourself,” Harry said cheekily even as his stomach squirmed. Other than Hagrid no one had ever given him a real present before. It felt precious, even if this was his future self, which was still hard to wrap his head around.

“Just open it.”

Smiling the younger did just that. With more care than Dudley ever showed his own gifts Harry carefully unwrapped the package, setting the bow and paper aside to reveal a photo album. Curious he looked inside. Their on the first page was a picture of a man and woman. The man looked much like him but the woman had his eyes.

“Is that?”

“It is,” his older self agreed.

Together they took in the picture as the figures twirled about looking very happy and very much in love.

“Originally it was Hagrid who gave me the first pictures of mom and dad I ever had. Since that might not happen for you now that we’re changing things, I wanted to make sure you still got them.”

“Thank you,” Harry said. Carefully he flipped through the pages finding that the album was full of pictures, of his mom and his dad and others he didn’t recognize.

“Who are they,” Harry asked stopping on a picture of three school boys with their arms thrown over each other’s shoulders. One was his father who was standing in the middle.

“Later,” his older self promised. “Tell me how your Birthday went?”

“It happened just like you said it would. Uncle Vernon took us away but the letters kept coming.”

“Did he try taking you out to a shack on a little rock?”

“Yes,” Harry exclaimed. “Why didn’t you warn me about that?”

Elder Harry shrugged. “I didn’t know if it would happen the same. The more you know the more you might change.”

Harry eyed him skeptically before continuing. “Well, it wasn’t great but then Hagrid showed up. And that? That was brilliant.”

Seeing his younger self’s vindictive glee Harry asked, “Did he give Dudley a tail?”

“He did,” young Harry reported happily.

Sighing the elder shook his head. “He shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing? Dudley hadn’t really done anything wrong.”

Harry the younger obviously didn’t agree. His expression said it all.

The elder rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. You’ve been on the other side of a too severe punishment before. Put yourself in his shoes. How would you have felt if Aunt Petunia went around changing parts of your body ever time she caught you sneaking a bite to eat.”

Harry wanted to argue but the elder didn’t give him a chance. Drawing his wand he leveled it on the boy. Then angry little zaps of electricity started spilling from the tip. For the first time Harry felt fearful of his older self.

“Right now I could do anything to you. You couldn’t stop me and you couldn’t undo it. How does that make you feel.”

Harry resolutely didn’t answer that. Instead he said, “You’ve made your point.”

“Good,” his older self said accepting his word. Stopped his wand sparking he put it away. “I know you don’t want to sympathize with Dudley. He’s been an ass to you. I get it. I lived it. But I have to tell you, as much as it might sound like bull, he’s just a kid. And yes, I know you’re just a kid too and so it doesn’t feel like q valid excuse, but he’s a kid who’s been taught to be what he is. Trained you might say. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon might have abused and neglected us, but they haven’t done Dudley many favors either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you really think Dudley’s going to make it in the word how he is? Vernon’s done alright cause he has half a brain but Dudley? Temper tantrums and bully won’t get him far. It's only going to get him into trouble.”

Thinking to wonder about it for the first time Harry asked himself, “What happened to your Dudley?”

He was surprised when his older self smiled fondly. “He got better.”

Harry looked at him with disbelief. “No way. I’m sorry but no. Of everything you’ve said that’s the craziest.”

“But it’s true,” the older Harry said smiling in amusement at his younger self’s disbelief. “It took years mind you and a near death experience but he got better. Even apologized for all the things he did to me.”

Harry just stared at him still disbelieving.

His older self laughed. “Don’t worry about it. You can believe me or not, just promise me one thing?”

“What’s that,” the younger asked.

“Don’t use magic to upset the Dursleys. Not Dudley, or Uncle Vernon, or Aunt Petunia. And if anyone else does it, you tell them off and you make them fix it if you can’t yourself.”

That was not a promise the younger wanted to make.

“You don’t want to be like them do you? You don’t want to be a bully. That? It’s bullying.”

The younger continued to frown but the older could see that hit home. Begrudgingly the kid asked, “What am I supposed to do about Dudley’s tail then?”

“Apologize,” older Harry said and the younger looked at him with outrage. The elder held up his hands, “Hear me out. I know it wasn’t your fault but as Hagrid isn’t going to say sorry, someone should. So, say sorry and tell him that the tail will go away if he drinks this.” 

Pulling a vial of something out of his pocket he handed it over.

“Give it to Dudley when Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon aren’t around. If he drinks it, the tail goes. If he doesn’t, than you did all you could. If he says mommy and daddy wouldn’t like it, tell him to lie he could lie and say it went away on its own.”

“…Fine.” The younger took the vial and shoved it in his pocket.

Shaking his head the elder leaned back into the bench. “So how was Diagon Alley?”

Now that put a smile on the younger’s face. He told himself all about his first trip to a magical district and the two compared notes. The elder was happy to hear that so far events were playing out much the same to what he remembered. 

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” he told the younger.

“I really did.”

“And now you have a month until school starts.” 

The younger frowned and the elder elbowed him playfully for it.

“Don’t be like that. It’s going to be a month of me tutoring you, so don’t look so glum about it.”

“Tutoring me,” the younger asked perking up.

“Well yeah,” the elder said. “Can’t have you going off unprepared.”

***

Flopping down on the bench besides his older self the younger Harry complained, “Uncle Vernon refuses to take to London tomorrow. He told me to take the train in.”

"That’s fine,” the elder assured. “I’ll take you.”

“But,” the other asked confused. “Is that something you can do?

Now equally confused the elder looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, you always show up here. Can you go other places.”

“Well, yeah,” the elder Harry said frowning a bit. “There are some places I can’t go but most everywhere else should be fine. Just so long as I’m careful about it. Going anywhere magical is risky. If someone notices me it could really mess things up for us, but seeing you safely off to Hogwarts is worth the risk.”

The younger Harry considered that. “So you won’t be visiting me at Hogwarts then?”

“I’m afraid not. But I do have a way for us to keep in touch.”

From his pocket he pulled out what looked like two matching dairies.

He handed one to his younger self before flipping his own open to the first page. Following his example the younger did the same. Pulling a pen from his pocket the elder wrote 'Dear me’ at the top of the page. Confused young Harry looked up at the other who tilted his head towards the other dairy. Looking down, Harry saw his copy now had the same writing on it. ‘Dear me’ written out in the exact same place in the exact same hand writing.

Bringing his pen back down to the page the elder slowly wrote ‘Today’ and the younger watched it appear in his own copy.

Smiling like mad he turned to the other. “Brilliant!”

***

For once it was George sitting on the playground bench, all alone. He was anxiously waiting for his husband’s return. 

Harry had taken his younger self to Kings Cross Station so he could be there on time so that things could happen much like they had before. Harry Potter would meet the Weasleys, Ron would go looking through the compartments until he found Harry so he could lie about others being full in the hopes of sitting with him, and from there the family would become an inseparable part of Harry’s life.

George had offered to go with thinking he would wait outside the station when the time came but Harry thought it was better he not torture himself. He was right of course. It would be so tempting to be close to his other half but he couldn’t go seeing Fred. If he did he might just steal him away. Only, no he wouldn’t, because he knew what that would do to his younger self. So George would have to leave without Fred and loosing his twin once had been hard enough. 

Over the years he learned to cope. Harry helped. Harry helped more than anyone, but there was only so much he could do. Fred still felt the loss. He would always feel the loss, but this, what they were doing? It helped. Even if he couldn’t save his own Fred, knowing they were creating a world where both he and Fred would hopefully live to grow into happy old man? That brought him a sense of resolve.

“Here. If you’re going to think so hard you should at least have steam coming out of your ears,” Harry said holding out a flask.

Blinking back into awareness of his surroundings George smiled at his husband. Gratefully he took the offered flask. Taking a small sip he enjoyed the familiar burn of fire whiskey.

Handing the flask back he asked, “So how’d it go?”

“Good. He’s off. Everyone’s off,” Harry assured as he sitting himself down. Bumping his shoulder against George’s he teased him, “I forgot how cute you were.”

George smirked. “Devilishly cute.”

Harry hummed in disagreement. “No, more like impish. I remember clearly, you still have a few more years to devilish."

And yeah. Thinking back on what he looked like at this age George had to agree. He could see it clearly. Remembered it well. Because every time he had looked at Fred, he saw a mirror of himself.

“It was hard,” Harry admitted. “Seeing all them.”

‘You were right not to come,’ he didn’t say but George heard it anyway. 

Reaching out he linked their hands together. 

“So,” George said taking a deep breath. “Hocrux hunt?”

“Hocrux hunt,” Harry agreed miserably.

***

The ring was their first target as the easiest and least dangerous to get. On the way they stopped at the Graveyard to get Tom Riddle the Senior’s bone. Then after making sure no muggles were around to see it happen they placed the bones inside the Gaunt Shack and set it all a flame. Under Harry’s tight control the Fiendfyre burned it all to ash.

As tempting as it was to continue on from there, they both needed a rest. So they went to find themselves a secluded spot to set up their tent and settled in for the night. It brought back less than pleasant memories of the last Hocrux hunt for Harry but George, the lovely beautiful husband he was knew this was coming and did his best to lighten the mood. He was good at getting Harry to laugh even at the worse of times.

Together they made diner. They’d been doing it long enough to know how to work around each other as they saw to their share of the work. That is up until George finished with what he had to do. Once he had nothing to occupy him he moved in behind Harry. Arms around going around his waist George hooked his chin over Harry’s shoulder to watch with him as the fish sizzled in the pan.

They chatted as they waited, talking about completely inconsequential things. Easy light talk was the order of the night. When finally the fish was done, dinner was eaten, then after a long bath, the two settled into bed. 

“It’s still early. How much do you want to bet young Harry hasn’t had time to write us yet?”

“Dish duty in the morning,” George recommended.

“Dish duty in the morning,” Harry agreed. Grabbing the diary from the bedside table he flipped it open to the first page. “Damn.”

There in hasty scrawl was a note. Just a few words after Harry’s “Dear me, today.”

“I made a friend on the train. Ron Weasley.”

With his own pen Harry added to the entry. “I think he’s going to be a good friend. His family seems nice too.”

“Say especially the twins,” George encouraged him.

Rolling his eyes Harry reminded him, “He’ll figure that out on his own.”

***

Christmas had come. Young Harry was alive and well without interference from his older self. He was currently enjoying his first Christmas at Hogwarts, writing all about it to his older self and asking for advice for getting the most out of having the castle mostly to themselves. 

As expected that first train ride had cemented Harry and Ron’s friendship. Then with some small guidance from his elder they’d brought Hermione into the mix before Halloween completely avoiding the mess with the troll. As a further bonus Neville had been pulled into the group as well turning the golden trio into the golden quartet. Though they’d been their in case anything went wrong the firsties had saved Harry from Quirrell’s assassination attempt just as they’d done before.

In equally good news George and his Harry’s hunt had been successful. There were only two Hocruxes left to get. There was the diadem which they’d been unwilling to disturb with Voldemort still in the school and Hufflepuff’s cup. Both they viewed as the most risky to go after and so both were being saved for the end.

This days target was the cup but for it they’d have to leave Christmas behind. They headed back to July before Voldemort’s break after which new security measures would to be put into place. The first step, was getting their own vault. Not the hardest thing in the world. The risk came after, once they were deep under ground when they turned their wands on their goblin escort bringing him under their control.

Despite all the danger their biggest worry wasn’t discovery. It was that the cup wouldn’t be there. Thankfully it was though. If it hadn’t been they would have had to discard all plans up to j and start on those a bit further into in to the alphabet then they were comfortable with.

Having no interest in stealing from Gringotts or dealing with the boobytraps inside the Lestrange vault Harry and George never entered it probably. Once the door was open it was down to the same simple method that had allowed three first years take out a troll. A simple levitation charm destroyed the cup and the hocrux within. Well, a levitation charm which carried a basilisk’s fang to the golden cup before letting it drop, point down.

Bringing their goblin escort back with them to their new vault the turned back time making it seem as though they’d never left. Their goblin appeared none the wiser when they cancelled their spell and from their they proceeded as if everything was normal. They made it up to the surface without trouble. They left without trouble. It very much seemed as though they’d gotten away with it. 

The goblins only checked for trapped thieves and anything missing from the vaults. It was up to those storing the items to make sure they had done so properly. As long as the Lestranges never escaped Azkaban no one should realize what they had done. And Voldemort, well, they were hoping he would be gone before he had a thought of checking on his Hocruxes.

With the cup seen to the returned to Christmas Eve where the first order of business was checking they hadn’t obviously ruined anything. Looking over the entries in the dairy they found nothing there to have changed, and the news papers were still the same as well. Feeling their nerves unfurl the couple were finally able to embrace a sense of accomplishment.

Once they were settled on the couch together George asked, “So, dinner?”

“How does takeaway sound?”

***

"Dear Me,

There were presents waiting for me this morning. My first Christmas with presents. I’m glad I thought to get ones for everyone else even if I had to make them instead of buying proper ones. I didn’t think to put together anything for Mrs Weasley though? I never thought she’d get me anything but she did. She made me a sweater! And fudge!"

Harry smiled down at the page where a gap had been left for him to give his younger self advice.

Taking up his quill he wrote, “I think I’ll send her a letter thanking her and next year I’ll be prepared. I’ll find something nice for her and Mister Weasley over the summer."

It only just fit in the gap before the last of what young Harry had to say.

“I loved the presents I got but there’s one that has me a bit confused. An invisibility cloak that apparently belonged to my father?”

Harry added in his reply. 

”I think it came from the Headmaster. Hagrid said he was close to my parents. I don’t know why he didn’t just tell me. Maybe he wanted to keep his distance or something. I really want to use it. Maybe go exploring the castle, but I don’t think it would be a good idea. If something went wrong I might not be found. Besides, nearly getting expelled for flying was bad enough. I don’t need to feel that again. I don’t want to be sent back to the Dursley’s. I don’t want to loose Hogwarts and magic,” Harry concluded, just hoping his younger self would listen. He didn’t need to go finding that blasted mirror. He didn’t need to risk walking right into Quirrell. There was plenty of time for him to grow up without being pushed along.

***

“Dear Me,

We finally figured it out. What Hagrid took from Gringotts that day. It was the Philosopher’s stone!”

Harry smiled. He remembered how accomplished he’d felt to have put it together.

“I’m proud we stuck with it and figured it out but now what? Its probably best to forget about it since no one’s supposed to know its here. Whatever reason they brought it into the school it can’t be good. Hogwarts is the safest place Hagrid said and someone did break into Gringotts to get it. Best to stay away. Best to stay safe. I finally have friends. I don’t want them getting hurt.”

***

“Dear me,

How sure can I be that Snape isn’t evil?”

Harry rolled his eyes.

“Okay, I know he’s not evil. A berk yes, but not evil. Hates me, but not evil. Its hard to remember it though. He makes it hard. He’s frustrating and annoying and possibly the worse professor ever."

***

“Dear me,

How bad can examines really be? Hermione is obsessed and she isn’t the only one. Other people seem stressed too. Percy said we should take this seriously and the twins tried to terrify us but it seemed like they were teasing.”

“It seems silly to worry too much. As long as we study and stay on top of things while keeping Hermione from spiraling we should be fine.”

***

“Dear Me,

Hagrid has a dragon egg?”

“And he’s trying to hatch it which just seems like a bad idea. I know he’s always wanted one but apparently its illegal and besides, a dragon could send his hut up in flames. Hopefully I can persuade him to give it up. Ron’s brother works with dragons. Maybe we can send it away to him somehow. I might have found a use for my invisibility cloak. I think three of us could fit under it at once. Maybe four. We’d just have to remember to stay quiet, silence our footsteps, and not leave the cloak behind anywhere.”

***

“Dear Me,

Draco caught on that we were going to get rid of the dragon. He tried to have us caught but instead got himself in trouble.”

Harry looked down at those words. He may not be a fan of Draco’s but he didn’t want the kid to die and die he might if his detention brought him out into the Forbidden forest with Hagrid who had a rather skewed perspective on what was safe.

“George,” he called out.

***

It was time. It was finally time. Dumbledore had left Hogwarts and Voldemort would be going after the stone. So far plan A had been working out just as they’d wanted but this would be the home stretch. Time to see if for once everything would work out.

Sneaking into Hogwart’s was depressingly easy. Getting to Gryffindor dorms were terrifyingly so. It really was a wonder that there weren’t more near death experiences at Hogwarts. 

With most of the students busy with clubs or outside enjoying the sun they didn’t have to worry about bumping into anyone as they made there way up the stairs to the first years boys’ dorm. There they found a rat, sleeping happily on Ron’s pillow.

A non-verbal stunner had him before he knew anything was wrong.

With Wormtail secured they moved over to Harry’s bed where they gathered what hairs they could find from his pillow and from his trunk a spare change of clothes. With their business there concluded they moved on to the Room of Requirement for the diadem and a safe place to wait out the rest of the day.

Harry kept the diary open in case he heard from his younger self but nothing was ever written. He hoped that was a sign that things had changed in a good direction and not that something had gone horribly wrong. At least they had his copy of the Marauders Map to reassure them that the kiddy versions of everyone were alive and far away from Quirrell. They didn’t approach McGonagall either.

When the time was getting close Harry and George moved into position. Past the Devil’s Snare, past the keys, past the chess set, and then they waited. They used tqhe time to prepare Peter for his debut as a Dark Lord serving rat. When the map said uirrell was headed their way, Harry took out his polyjuice potion, preloaded with his younger self’s hairs and downed it, transforming himself to how he looked at eleven years old. By the time Quirrell made it to where they were Harry was already dressed in the Hogwarts’ uniform they’d borrowed.

Once Quirrell and the parasite stuck to his head had done through to the mirror it was finally time to act.

“Go get the bastard,” George told him with a kiss for luck.

Hoisting up Wormtail George took the rat now force back into the form of a man back to stage him with the chess set while Harry moved ahead.

For all that Dumbledore got right, there were things he got very wrong. Thinking Harry needed to die to destroy the Hocrux in him was a big one. Just because the Headmaster didn’t know how to do it didn’t mean it couldn’t be done. In fact, once you knew how it was easy. So easy that Harry had been able to cleanse his younger self, in a park, in the middle of the day with no trouble at all. It was actually easier to expel a hocrux from a host who had a soul of their own then from object which lacked one. There had never been a need for Harry to sacrifice himself, and now thankfully his younger self never would.

His younger self wouldn’t have to face down Voldemort’s wand. He’d never have to fight the Dark Lord. He’d never even have to meet him. His innocence would stay intact, not because Dumbledore kept him in the dark but because he was going to save himself. The Harry that had already fought, had already killed, was going to do it again so his younger self never would just as Dumbledore should have stood up to fight in his place all along.

It had been years since Harry was actually eleven but he remembered enough about his first encounter with Voldemort to use it as a script. He let Quirrell and the Dark Lord think they had the upper hand and then he turned on them. He didn’t need his mother’s protections this time. He was a wizard grown and seasoned in combat. Quirrell didn’t stand a chance and without a body of his own, Voldemort was completely reliant on the other wizard’s skills to protect them.

A fiendfyre could burn as a wraith just as well as it could a hocrux. As Quirrell burned Voldemort tried to flee the flame but Harry wasn’t going to let him get away. He directed the flame after him, catching the The Dark Lord even as he tried to fly away.

His final death was marked with an agonized cry of disappear as Tom Riddle met his end.

Harry kept the cursed fire contained until Dumbledore arrived. From there he let it go as it wanted leaving the Headmaster deal with extinguishing it. It provided the distraction Harry needed to escape, slipping out the way he came to where his George was waiting.

Hand in hand they stayed long enough to make certain the fire was put out and Wormtail didn’t escape before fleeing the scene. 

Off they ran away from Hogwarts to a nice quiet spot in the middle of nowhere where they pitched their tent and hide their campsite behind every means of protection they could think of. 

As they stumbled into the tent together Harry reached up tangling his fingers in George’s hair and using the grip to pull their forehead’s together.

“We did it,” he enthused.

“We did,” George agreed Wrapping his arms around Harry and drawing him in for a kiss.

***

“What do you mean you’re leaving,” Harry asked his older self.

They were back in the part again. It was Harry’s first day back from Hogwarts. The only reason he thought the following weeks at the Dursleys would be bearable was thinking he’d have the other Harry around to tutor him and bring some fun into his life like he’d done the summer before. After that Harry would be going to visit the Weasleys and get to know his Sirius and Remus who were renting a place near by now that Harry’s godfather was out of prison. 

For once Harry had actually been looking forward to his summer, but hearing his older self planned to go, his outlook had suddenly plummeted.

Rolling his eyes the elder asked, “Kid, would you really want to spend your future looking after your past?”

Harry frowned.

“No, neither do I. I have my own future to go see to.”

“But your future is my future.”

The older Harry rolled his eyes. “You know that’s not true. Splitting tree branches and all that. We came from the same place but you’re your own person now. You’ve gone down a different path than me and wind up in an entirely different place.”

“But what if things go wrong?”

“I’ll be checking in,” the elder said but his younger self didn’t look any comforted by that assurance. Bopping the brat on the nose earned him a scrunched up look of displeasure which had Harry chuckling as he went on. “I’m not abandoning you. I just won’t be living things out in line with you anymore. I’m going to live out the rest of your life over what will probably be a couple of weeks. If things go wrong, if you really need me, I’ll be there.”

“Promise,” the eleven year old asked.

“Promise.”

***

“Ready?”

“No,” George denied. “Help me take the first step?”

Smiling Harry looped their arms together and pulled George along towards the burrow. It was snowing outside. It made the house look idyllic with the warm light inside glowing out from the windows into the dark of the night. They could hear festivities inside. People talking and laughing. Crackers being popped. As they came up to the window they could see as well as hear.

The Burrow was full to busting between the numbers of the Weasley clan, the Delacours, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Sirius, Remus, and Harry the younger. Despite how cramped this might have been everyone seems to slot comfortably into place. All together, everyone happy and healthy, and so very much alive.

Tucked in the kitchen archway Arthur and Sirius were enthusiastically discussing the new flying motorcycle they were building with Mister Delacour while their partners stood at their sides sipping their mugs of hot mulled wine and sharing looks of fond exasperation until finally Molly had enough and changed the topic of conversation. Leaning over Remus kissed Sirius on the cheek. Smiling his husband turned to burrow his face in Remus’ neck, nosing at his hairline and placing smiling kisses there.

Out in the living room those of the younger generation were gathered about in clusters. Off by the stairs Fleur and Bill were talking with Percy and Penelope about their upcoming wedding in the summer. Ron was teaching Gabrielle to play chess with Charlie sitting with them to lend his own advice. Hermione had lingered for a time leaning against Ron’s chair and observing but loosing interest she pat him on the shoulder and headed over to where the twins were talking to Neville and Luna about their recent trip to South America to study the local vegetation and wildlife. 

Ginny who had been talk with Harry about her recent Quidditch training ambled over as well leaving Harry sitting of on his own in a chair by the fire with an empty drink in hand. Tilting his head by he closed his eyes and settled in to just sit, listening to the noises of the gathering. Catching sight of him Fred and George shared a mischievous look. Rising they made their way over to disturb Harry’s peace. Plopping themselves down on the arm of the chair they teased him and riled him up bringing a disgruntled pout to his face. Reaching out they pinched his cheeks as they cooed at him for being so cute with his grumpy face.

Swatting their hands away he scolded them. “Knock it off. That hurts.”

“Aw we’re sorry,” Fred said with saccharine sweetness.

“Yeah,” George agreed taking over, “but don’t worry.”

Together they held up a sprig of mistletoe each above themselves and Harry. While he was busy looking up to see what they were holding they proclaimed together, “We’ll kiss it better.”

Leaning in they started peppering Harry’s face with kisses, starting with his cheeks and moving on from there. In trying to turn away from Fred Harry turned into George at just the right moment for their lips to line up for a proper kiss. Their first in this timeline.

Jerking back the two blushed madly at what had just happened. As they remained frozen, staring at each other, Fred look between the pair with a considering expression. Never one to be left out of things he came to a decision. Reaching up he grabbed hold of Harry’s face and steered it round so they could share a kiss of their own.

Hidden outside a much older Harry and George watched the idyllic scene they’d helped to create. It was the first time since they’d come back that George let himself see anyone in his family, let alone Fred. Watching them all gathered, merry in each others company as they enjoyed the season, and a new triad took its first flutterings towards something, he smiled even as he cried.

Tucked into his side Harry turned to kiss his husband’s cheek. 

“Happy Christmas, George.”

“Happy Christmas, Harry."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Early Christmas Dancibayo!


End file.
